


Men Ordet Om Deg Aldreg Døyr

by raidspriestsandbabygoats



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Angst, Death, Gen, Just all-round sadness, M/M, Slight mentions of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 04:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1927347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidspriestsandbabygoats/pseuds/raidspriestsandbabygoats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Athelstan's luck of survival finally runs out and Ragnar tries to comfort him before he passes away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Men Ordet Om Deg Aldreg Døyr

"You can get through this." Ragnar ignored the gazes boring into his back as he crouched over the injured warrior. He didn't want to see anyone else's face now; not Floki's, not Torstein's, not even Rollo's. Just his. He pressed his hand firmly against Athelstan's belly as he pulled the smaller man gently into his lap. He felt the tear in the leather jerkin and in the tunic and skin beneath it and it made him want to be sick. He had seen, he had inflicted, far more horrific wounds than the one his hand covered, but the thought of it happening to Athelstan was too much to comprehend. "You can get through this," he repeated quietly, his eyes shining with tears. "Have you not survived more than this?"

Athelstan's eyes flickered open and a weak smile briefly lit up his face. "I think...God finally looked the other way..." He winced and gasped for breath, his face contorting and his body trembling with pain, tears marking thin streaks of clear skin beneath the mud and blood of the battle.

Ragnar closed his eyes and held Athelstan firmly, fighting to hold back sobs as the small body trembled and shuddered in his arms. "Ssh..." He stroked Athelstan's hair soothingly and pressed a gentle kiss to his head. "You will be alright. I promise. I will make everything alright."

Athelstan looked up at him and shook his head slowly, another smile settling on his face. "You can't perform miracles, Ragnar. You are only human, even if you are descended from Odin." He reached up and placed his shaking hand on Ragnar's cheek, and Ragnar eagerly leaned into the touch, not caring about the dirt and blood. "I am alright, Ragnar," Athelstan whispered quietly. "It...It's not so scary as I once imagined."

Ragnar gently cupped Athelstan's cheek with his own hand and stroked the scruff with his thumb, shaking his head. "But you cannot leave me, Athelstan." He swallowed, trying to keep his voice from shaking and a large lump appeared in his throat. "There...There is still so much to teach you about our ways. So many stories about the gods. You always enjoy hearing them, hm?" A few tears spilled from his eyes.

Athelstan opened his mouth, coughing painfully as blood dribbled down his chin. When his coughs subsided, he looked up at Ragnar once again, the light in his grey eyes slowly fading. "And...when we get back to Kattegat..." he rasped, his voice harsh and raw as the words tore themselves from his throat. "When we get back...there will be a feast..?"

Ragnar quickly dragged his wrist across his eyes and nodded as he cradled Athelstan gently, forcing a small smile onto his face and when he spoke, his voice was as soothing as when he was comforting his sons after a nightmare. "Of course, we will feast as we always do. And we will all be there. Aslaug, Lagertha, Bjorn, the boys, Floki and Helga with little Angrboda, Rollo and Siggy, Torstein." His voice caught and he took a deep breath before continuing. "And you will see Leif and Arne too. And maybe even G--...Gyda. And the other priests that were from your temple..." He almost felt his heart shatter at the tiny smile on Athelstan's face and he bent his head to kiss the freedman's cheek softly. "You will see everyone, Athelstan."

Athelstan's smile grew a little and his hand fell from Ragnar's head to hold his hand instead. "You... You are a g-good man, Ragnar Lothbrok." His eyes grew distant and widened slightly as an expression of awe appeared on his face, and Ragnar was suddenly reminded of the young slave he had once been, trying to work out how this new world operated. "I... Ragnar... S-See the garden..?"

Ragnar turned to follow Athelstan's gaze but he could see nothing. Nothing but bodies. Looking back at Athelstan, he smiled gently. "Describe it to me, Priest..."

Athelstan sat up a bit, keeping his eyes fixed on his vision. "It... I can see...children. Happy children...playing...shining like light..." Ragnar gently pried his hand free from Athelstan's grip to wipe away the blood now trickling out of his mouth at every word. "I...I can see my family." Athelstan weakly raised his hand and tapped first his head then his chest, and he had almost reached his right shoulder before his hand fell in his lap and his body rested against Ragnar's chest. His eyes stared blankly out over the remenants of the battle and a small serene smile was left playing around his mouth.

Ragnar ignored his brother's hand on his shoulder as he held the body tightly, rocking it back and forth. Tears poured unchecked from his eyes and he gently grasped Athelstan's wrist, lifting his hand from his lap and using it to complete the cross he had started. "Rest happily, my Priest," he whispered into deaf ears. "None deserves it more than you."

**Author's Note:**

> Title means "But the word about you will never die" and is a quote from the Poetic Edda.


End file.
